At most student organisations the Vice President is a title with little behind it: some admin, a backup signature, a name on the constitution. At ALSA it is the opposite. The President works externally, representing ALSA to firms and the profession. The Vice President runs everything internal: the team, its culture, and the systems that keep people moving. The split is deliberate. This is a genuine management role, and it suits someone who is more effective in the room than in the spotlight.
- Run the internal side of ALSA so the President can work externally. The President represents ALSA to firms and the profession. You hold the team together behind that: the culture, the coordination, and the day-to-day running. The split is deliberate, and the organisation depends on you owning your half.
- Manage the health of the executive team: morale, communication, and accountability. Culture is built in how people treat each other on ordinary days. You are responsible for what ordinary looks like, and for noticing when it starts to slip.
- Coordinate onboarding for every new intake of officers and interns. The two-week onboarding sets the tone for everything that follows. Make it structured and consistent so new members know from day one that the organisation takes itself seriously.
- Make sure every intern is genuinely supported by the officer they work under. Check in on both sides of that relationship, not just the intern. An officer too stretched to support their intern is a problem for you to catch and fix.
- Act as President when the President is unavailable. This means staying informed enough to make real decisions in their absence. You cannot stand in for someone whose work you do not understand.
- Surface team issues early, before they become problems. Most team problems are easy to fix at week two and hard to fix at week eight. Being close enough to the team to notice early is the job.
- Take on strategic projects as directed by the President and deliver them to cabinet standard. The work that lands on your desk is often the work without a natural home. Own it fully.
- Maintain handover documentation for the role and support a clean transition at the end of your tenure. Your onboarding approach, team-health practices, and the systems you build should be documented and ready to pass on.
- Time commitment: Roughly 8–12 hours per week; expect more in event weeks
- Availability: Same standard as the President. You are the fallback.
- Onboarding: Own the two-week onboarding period for every new intake. It should be structured and consistent.
- Team: Every officer and intern should feel they can come to you. If they do not, something is wrong.
- Meetings: Attend the weekly cabinet meeting and the monthly all-team session. Once a month, the cabinet meeting is replaced by a full-team session where every portfolio and cabinet come together.
- Projects: Deliver any strategic project you take on to cabinet standard.
By end of semester, the onboarding process ran smoothly, no team issues escalated past the point of easy resolution, and officers and interns felt supported throughout. The President was able to focus externally because internal operations were in good hands.
